BURY'S world famous market looks to be growing in popularity in the run up to Christmas.

In just one day recently, a string of coaches travelled to Bury packed with shoppers. Three came from Merseyside, one from Cheshire, another from Lytham St Annes, a sixth made the short trip from Blackburn and a seventh travelled all the way from Oxford.

Markets manager John Ayres said: "Bury Market is world famous -- and quite rightly so. Its reputation for being a friendly and bargain-packed place to shop is well known not just in the town but right across the region and, judging by the increasing number of coach party visits we are receiving, right across the country.

"While markets elsewhere are struggling to compete, here in Bury we just seem to go from strength to strength."

This year, to fit in with the festive atmosphere, the imposing gull wing structure of Bury Market Hall is being lit up by a barrage of coloured lights.

Stalls inside, along with those in the new Fish and Meat Hall, which was created as part of a £5 million revamp, will be open every day until Christmas.

On the open market, stalls will be open for business on December 12, 14, 15, 16,19, 21, 23 and 24. The Sunday sessions on December 16 and 23 will run from 10.30am-4.30pm, while on Christmas Eve it will be from 9am-4.30pm.